Game board



Jan. 11, 1944. H. w. LYON 2,338,774

' GAME BOARD Filed April 13, 1943 1 -\nv e.n1on

Harry W.- Lyon g I y s A" 1 1 y ya.

Patented Jan. 11, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a game board employed in playing a novel,interesting and entertaining game, and the object of the invention is toprovide such a game board of novel and simple construction which willenable games involving chance and skill and a wide variety of situations to be played.

The nature and objects of the invention Will appear more fully from theaccompanying description and drawing and will be particularly pointedout in the claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a simple and preferred form of the gameboard embodying a simple and preferred form of playing indicia and otherfeatures;

Fig. 2 is a view in vertical cross section taken centrally andlongitudinally of the game board;

Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, and '7, illustrate various positions of indicatorsemployed in the playing of a preferred form of game for which the gameboard is particularly adapted; and

Fig. 8 is a view in perspective of a form of indicator employed.

The game board, a preferred form of which is illustrated in Figs. 1 and2, comprises a fiat baseboard I which may be made of any suitablematerial, such as a sheet of plastic material, wood or heavy cardboard,and of any suitable size. It is preferably of a general rectangularshape illustrated. It also comprises a pair of circular disks 2 and 3,also made of any suitable material, such for example as that employed inthe baseboard. One of these disks, as 2, is preferably smaller than theother. mounted at their centers on the baseboard in a manner to positionthe disk peripheries adjacent each other. For this purpose each disk mayhave secured to its lower surface at the center an antifriction washer 4while a similar type washer 5 is secured to the baseboard. In each casea pivot pin 6 is illustrated headed at its upper end passing through thedisk, through the center of the washers 4 and 5 and embedded in thebaseboard. Thus each disk is free to rotate on its pivot. A suitablehandle is employed for rotating each disk and such a handle is shown ineach case as a stud fitting over the head of the pivot pin 5 and firmlysecured to the disk. With the thumb and finger grasping the handle eachdisk may therefore be rotated or spun freely on its pivot.

The upper surface of each disk is provided with areas bearing playingindicia and with an annular series of these areas adjoining itsperiphery. The indicia employed on these areas may vary in These disksare each pivotally accordance'with the game to be played. In the formillustrated these indicia are in the form of spots similar to thoseemployed on dominoes, that is, with the spots arranged in numbersincreasing respectively from 1 to 6.

The smaller disk 2 is shown provided with a single annular series ofareas made up of the three circular areas 8, 9, and it, with theinterposed areas II, l2, and Hi. In this case with the particular formof indicia illustrated the single spot is placed in the area 8 and theother spots in increasing number in the successive areas H, 9, l2, l0,and I3. The annular series on the larger disk 3 adjacent its peripheryis shown as comprising the six circular areas l4, l5, IE, IT, I8, and ISwith the interposed areas 20, 2|, 22, 23, 24, and 25. In this case withthe particular form of indicia illustrated a single spot is placed inthe circular area l4 and the other spots in increasing number in thesuccessive circular areas, while a single spot is placed in theinterposed area 20 and increasing numbers in the successive interposedareas as illustrated. This larger disk 3 is also preferably providedwith a further concentric series of areas shown as the circular areas26, 21, 28, 29, 30 and 3|, and the playing indicia are shown as the sameseries of spots running in sequence from one spot in the circular area26 to six spots in the area 3|. Again, there may be employed a centralconcentric series of areas shown as the segmental areas 32, 33, 34, 35,36, and 3'! (see Fig. 6), of an innermost circle surrounding the handle1.

As a part of the game board there is provided a plurality of indicatordevices preferably in the form of pegs such as illustrated at 38 in Fig.8. Six of these are shown stored in suitable holes outside of the diskson the board in Fig. 1. Cooperating with these indicator devices are aplurality of means located in fixed relation to the indicia-bearingareas of one of the disks and with each of these means engageable withany one of the indicator devices employed and so arranged as to hold anyindicator device in fixed position on the disk during rotation thereof.In the specific construction illustrated where the indicator devices arepegs, such as illustrated, this means consists simply of small holespassing through the disk 3 and each adapted to receive and hold the stemof one of the pegs. These holes 39 are illustrated at various positions,preferably one at the center of each indicia-bearing area, and. one at apoint common to each pair of adjacent areas. Four of these holes arealso illustrated in the very center of the device within the annularseries of 32 to 37.

The boundaries of the indicia-bearing areas and the indicia employed maybe printed, painted, or otherwise applied directly to the surface of thedisks. The ends of the boundaries of the areas between the circularareas are defined by spaces or lines such as shown at All.

A pointer, such as ll, is provided for the disk 2 adjacent the peripherythereof and a pointer, such as 42, for the disk 3 adjacent the peripherythereof, and these pointers are supported from the baseboard preferablyby a common support 43 mounted on the baseboard between the adjacentportions of the disk peripheries. The two pointers with the commonsupport may be formed from sheet metal with the base of the supportriveted or secured to the baseboard.

Considering the specific construction illustrated the game may be playedby any number of players from two to six with each employing one of thepegs 38 with these pegs being differentiated by color or other suitablemeans each from the other. The game may be played in different forms butit essentially involves each player selecting a position by insertinghis peg in one of the holes 39. After the players have thus selectedtheir positions the disks are spun by means of the handle a ard when therotation ceases the score is determined by the relation between theindicia on the areas indicated by the two pointers and the indicia onthe area or areas indicated by the position of the player peg orindicator device. In Fig. 3 a peg 38 is indicated at the center of thearea i? and in this case one of the factors determining the playersscore will be the number ll indicated by the four spots. In Fig. 4 thepeg 3t occupies a position including the circular areas M and 23 so thatone of the factors determining the players score will be the numbers land 3 or their sum. Again in Fig. 5 the peg 38 is common to the circulararea I! and the adjacent area 25 so that the number of spots on theseareas are factors in determining the score, While in. Fig. '7 the peg 33is in the area 24 with the number thereon being the factor. In Fig. 6the peg 33 is common to the circular area 26 and the segmental area 32with a similar result. In addition the peg may be placed in one of theholes 39 and may indicate that the numbers indicated by any pair ofoppositely disposed segmental areas are to be taken as a factor.

It will thus be seen that a wide variety of games may be played by theuse of this game board and that a wide variety of scoring arrangementsmay be employed and it is unnecessary here to elaborate any particularscoring system. For examp1e, suppose a players peg 38 is placed in theposition illustrated in Fig, 4 and after the two disks are spun theystop at the position indicated in Fig. 1 this means that the player hasselected by his peg the same combination of areas and indicia asindicated by the pointers when the spinning rotation has ceased and theplayer is therefore entitled to a plus score which may be the sum of thenumber of spots or a multiple thereof. If the disks when spun occupy adifferent position the areas indicated by the pointers when the spinningoperation ceases may be employed to diminish the score.

The game board will be preferably supplied with a set of rules settingforth in detail the method of scoring to be employed, the amountrequired to win the game, and any such rules as may be desirable ornecessary.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desiredto be secured by Let ters Patent, is:

l. A game board device comprising a flat baseboard, a pair of circulardisks each pivotally mounted at its center on the baseboard to positionthe disk peripheries adjacent each other. the surface of each diskpresenting areas bearing playing indicia with an annular series of saidareas adjoining the periphery cfeach disk, a pointer for each diskadjacent the periphery thereof and having a support mounted on thebaseboard, a plurality of individual indicator devices, and a pluralityof means in fixed relation to the indicia-bearing areas of one of thedisks each engageable with any one of the indicator devices to hold itin fixed position on the disk during rotation thereof.

2. A game board device comprising a fiat baseboard, a pair of circulardisks each pivotally mounted at its center on the baseboard to positionthe disk peripheries adjacent each other, the surface of one diskadjoining its periphery presenting an annular series of areas bearingplaying indicia, the surface of the second disk presenting a pluralityof concentric series of areas bearing playing indicia with one of saidseries adjoining the periphery, a pointer for each disk adjacent theperiphery thereof having a support mounted on the baseboard, a pluralityof individual indicator devices, and a plurality of means in fixedrelation to the indicia-bearing areas of the second disk each engageablewith any one of the indicator devices to hold it in fixed position onthe disk during rotation thereof.

HARRY W. LYON.

